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(N0 Model.)

J. DORNAN & O. N. BRADY APPLYING NATURAL GAS TOGLASS FURNACES.

No. 304,303. Patented Sept. 2 1884.

JOHA DORNAN AND CHARLES N.

ATENT BRADY, or wnLLsBURc, w. VA.

APPLYING NATURAL GAS TO GLASS-=FURNACES.

ZPECIPICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 304,303,61'atedSeptember 2, 1884. Application filed August 27, 1883. (No model.)

To all whom'it may concern:

Be it known that we, JOHN DORNAN and CHARLES N. BRADY, of 'Wellsburg, inthe county of Brooke and State of WestVirginia, have invented a new anduseful Improvement in Applying Natural Gas to Glass-Furnaces; and we dohereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descriptionthereof.

The object of our invention is the application of natural gas to themanufacture of glass. To this end we employ the devices hereinafterdescribed, by means of which air and gas are admitted in sheets or jetsinto and around the eye of the furnace.

WVe will now describe our invention, so that others skilled in the artto which it appertains may use the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which-Figure 1 is avertical sectional View through the fire-chamber and eye ofthe glass-furnace. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the shoe by which the gas issupplied to the furnace, and Fig. 3 is a vertical cross-sectional viewof a portion of the shoe.

Like letters of reference indicate like parts wherever they occur.

In the drawings, A represents the bench of the furnace, on which areplaced the meltingpots B, arranged in a circle around the eye 0, whicheye extends down from the top of the bench to the fire-chamber D, thesides or walls of the eye being vertical. Below the eye is thefire-chamber D, larger in diameter than the eye, and connectingtherewith by sloping walls. Extending across the fire-chamber D are thebars F, resting upon which is a hollow shoe, G, circular in form andextending around the wall of the fire-chamber under the flare of thewalls E. This shoe is composed of iron, fire-clay, or 'other suitablematerial, preferably of the shape shown in the drawings, being a tubularring having a hollow center. This shoe is perforated, so as to form theburners or gas-exits H. Extending from the gas well or reservoir to theshoe G is a gas-supply pipe, I. Arranged around the eye of the furnace,above the shoe G, are air flues or inlets J, which extend in the wallsof the furnace to a suitable air-supply flue or pipe.

' Below the flues J is a pipe or passage, K, ar-

ranged within the wall of the furnace, commu I nicating with the eyebysuitable perforations or openings, K, and connected with thegasreservoir by asuitable supply-pipe. The gassupply pipe I may beconnected with the airsupply pipe in such a manner as to supply gasmingled with a certain amount of air to the shoe G.

The operation is as follows: The gas, being conducted from the gas-wellto the supplypipe I and pipe or passage Kby -suitablepipes, or beingfirst conducted to a gas-reservoir, passes into the eye of thefurnace-from the shoe G and passage K. The gas maybe sup plied to theeye of the furnace jointly by the shoe G and flue K, or by either ofthem separately. At the same time air is introduced into the eye of thefurnace through the flues or inlets J by suitable devices connectedtherewith for producing a draft or blast? This'air, being preferablyheated, mingles with the gas ascending in the eye of the furnace fromthe passage K and shoe G. The gas beingignited, combustion takes place,producing an intense heat around the pots of the furnace.

The quantity of gas and air supplied to the furnace is regulatedby'suitable cocks. When both gas and air are introduced through the shoeG, they first become mingled by passing through the shoe andperforations or burners formed therein. Vhen the gas is supplied by theshoe G or passage K and the air through the inlets J the air flows in onall sides of the sheet or column of gas and becomes intimately mixed orcombined therewith, producing vivid combustion and an intense heat.

At the bottom of the fire chamber D is an open-mouthed pot, M, thepurpose of which is to collect any glass which may escape from the potsby reason of a crack or overflow. As the shoe G is protected by thesloping or flaring walls E, the molten glass will flow through the eyedirectly into the pot M without coming in contact with the shoe.

Our invention may also be applied for the purpose of reheating,annealing, or finishing glass.

The advantages of our invention are that by the use of natural gas asafuel in the manufacture of glass, for melting, annealing, or reheating,a much better article is produced, free from discolorations andimperfections caused by soot, smoke, ashes, or sulphurous fumes.

utiliz'ethe natural gases as fuel in metallurgical operations. YVe arealso aware that it has been used in furnaces to generate steam, and forother heating purposes.

We are also aware that manufactured 'gas from bituminous coal has beenused in the manufacture of glass, and that coal-oil has been used forthe same purpose; but these are objectionable on account of thesulphurous fumes of the former and the dense smoke of the latter, andsuch we do not claim. We are not aware, however, that the naturalgasessuch as we describehave ever been utilized in the manner set forthin-the art of glassmanufaeture prior to our invention.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is-

1. As an improvement in the art of manufacturing glass, the employmentof natural gas taken from subterranean deposits, combined withatmospheric air, in substantially the manner described, as a heatingmedium in the melting, heating, and reheating of glass, as and for thepurpose set forth.

2. In a furnace for melting, annealing, and

working glass, the pipes or tubes for conveyscribed, for mixing ormingling atmospheric I air with the gas prior to its combustion in thefurnace, substantially as set forth.

3. In a glass-furnace, the combination of a gas-flue arranged around theeye of the furnace and provided with jet-orifices, and an air-fluesimilarly arranged above or below the gas-flue, and having jet-0rifices,substantially as and for the purpose specified.

4:. In a glass-furnace, a shoe or pipe for supplying gas to the furnace,said pipe being provided with orifices, and set in a recess orenlargement around the walls of the fire chamber or eye, so as to beprotected by overhanging walls, substantially as and for the purposespecified.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands this 17th day ofAugust, A. D. 1883 JOHN DORNAN. CHARLES N. BRADY.

Vi tn esses:

JAY E. RATCLIFFE, JOHN BLUNKINSOP, Sr.

